Electronic music pioneer Daphne Oram’s amazing life

Blood of the Young and the Tron Theatre present Daphne Oram's Wonderful World of Sound.

Published:09:36Thursday 30 March 2017

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Award-winning Blood of the Young present their first touring stage production, Daphne Oram’s ‘Wonderful World of Sound’.

Based on the life, ideas and legacy of the hugely influential sound pioneer Daphne Oram, Blood of the Young ensemble team up with SAY Award-nominated musician Anneke Kampman (formerly of the band Conquering Animal Sound) in this journey through the amazing life of one of the great, unsung composers of the twentieth century.

The live, original score evokes the wonder and discovery which ran through the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in its early days when Daphne Oram cut a trailblazing path through uncharted musical territory.

In 1942 a 17-year-old Daphne attended a séance which inspired her to forge a career in music. This led to her co-founding and becoming the first director of the world-famous BBC Radiophonic Workshop, birthplace of many of television’s early sci-fi themes, such as Doctor Who.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, she worked with opera singers, classical composers and rock and roll stars. She released several records, influenced the teaching of music in schools, wrote a book on her personal sound philosophy (An Individual Note) and continued always to pursue innovation, learning and teaching her craft - often as the only woman in that professional environment.

A true innovator who sacrificed everything for her art, Daphne’s boldness and pioneering spirit created a legacy that remains important today to musicians, sound artists and engineers.

Kampman’s innovative, contemporary score draws parallels between past and present, combining aspects of Oram’s oeuvre and influences with her own distinct sound.